I’m quite proud of my collection of bar tools, glasses and gizmos, collected from years of dedicated writing, reporting and drinking in the name of journalism. But I’m perturbed and a little embarrassed to say that I haven’t been using many of them correctly.

That’s what I discovered after chatting recently with Michael Rooney, Beverage Director at Amar Santana’s Vaca and Broadway restaurants.

Rooney is the wise sage of Orange County’s mixology world. Scholarly, resplendently bearded and impressively detail-oriented, Rooney is definitely the go-to guy for any kind of question about spirits and cocktails, no matter how obscure. And he knows the strengths and shortcomings of every device.

Take the Hawthorne strainer, for example. I always thought of it as an ingenious and self-contained little contraption – that slinky-like coil around its rim is a great way of quickly straining the ice out of your cocktail shaker.

But to Rooney, it solves only half the problem. “We generally use a conical mesh strainer alongside a Hawthorne strainer,” he explained. “The Hawthorne keeps the large particles (of ice) out of your cocktail but lets the small ones escape. And those small pieces can add up to a significant amount of water after they melt, which will noticeably dilute the cocktail.”

Who knew?

Rooney has a word of advice on properly using the Hawthorne strainer: “Have the mixing glass completely loaded with ice. That way the strainer is sitting on top of the ice. When you pour it out you won’t have a wave of ice rushing toward the strainer.”

You can get a good-quality set of basic bar tools at many retailers. Pottery Barn sells this attractive set for $69. (Photo courtesy of Pottery Barn)

I was always a little confused about the shaken-vs.-stirred rules of cocktail preparation (Thank you, James Bond!). Rooney said the rules are easy, but ironclad.

“The general rule is if a cocktail contains citrus, dairy or egg white, you’re going to want to shake it pretty well. Citrus juice, eggs and cream are all emulsifiers that must be combined thoroughly with everything else. You don’t want them to separate in the glass. Straight spirits, liqueurs, bitters and syrups do not need to be shaken.

“Remember, when you’re shaking a cocktail you’re letting oxygen enter into the equation. It provides you with a more effervescent, bright cocktail, which is what you want for that kind of drink.

“But when you’re stirring, that action removes air from the equation. It leaves you with this long, luxurious, silky mouth-feel. That’s what you’re after in a Manhattan or a Negroni.”

The muddler is also frequently misused, though it’s more a matter of backing off a bit, Rooney said.

“A muddler compresses the substance that you’re muddling without breaking it, which releases volatile flavors. You want to press something such as mint just enough to release its oils rather than rip it, which can create bitter elements. You don’t need to use a lot of weight to get the desired effect.” So stop wielding that masher like you’re the Incredible Hulk. Gently, Bruce Banner, gently.

Rooney says wine decanters are often used incorrectly, too.

“You need a decanter only for the really big, tannic wines that are built for aging. Burgundy doesn’t require it.

“Decanting opens up wines by introducing oxygen into them. It allows them to reveal themselves. It also helps you see and remove sediment, which is important when you’re decanting old bottles of wine.”

Decanting isn’t the exclusive realm of older vintages, Rooney said. “You can decant younger wines. California loves its big 2015 Cabernets right now, and they’re pretty young. Those wines generally need an hour or two to open up in a decanter to show themselves properly.” Remember that very old wines, on the other hand, can fall off quickly after they’re decanted, Rooney warned. Drink them immediately.

Rooney is picky about his cocktail glasses, too, which is how I found out that all those wonderful martini stems I’ve collected over the years are a less-than-ideal way to enjoy my wife’s lovingly concocted libations.

“I carry only cocktail coupes in both restaurants.” (They’re stems that are smallish, rounded and shallow.) “We don’t use traditional martini glasses. For me, they’re a marketing gimmick. I see nothing positive in the use of a martini glass at all.

“The only plus I can give a martini glass is its style. But they don’t travel well. You can’t walk with liquid in them. And because of the severity of its angles, garnishes don’t sit easily on the rim. When you’re drinking out of one, the rim is so wide that someone like me with a beard and mustache, well, it all gets in there.

“Coupes have rounded edges, allowing you to walk easily with one in your hand. You can even get bumped into a bit without spilling anything.

“And it’s a vessel modeled after Marie-Antoinette’s breast. You can’t get much more elegant than that.”

I’ll save Rooney’s opinions about ice for another time. They could easily fill a second column.

Paul D. Hodgins is a freelancer who previously worked at the Orange County Register since 1993. He spent more than two decades as the Register’s theater critic, and for eight years he wrote about dance as well. Hodgins has also written for American Theatre, Variety, The Sondheim Review and Backstage West. Hodgins has also been active as an educator and scholar. He was the music director of the dance department at The University of California, Irvine from 1985-92 and served in similar positions at Eastern Michigan University, Vancouver’s Simon Fraser University and the Banff Centre for the Arts. His book about relationships between music and choreography, 'Music, Movement and Metaphor,' was published in 1992. Since 2001, Hodgins has taught arts and entertainment journalism at California State University, Fullerton. Hodgins holds a doctorate in musical composition and theory from the University of Southern California. He lives in Huntington Beach.